Handkerchief fluffer



L. C. FREY HANDKERCHIEE FLUFFER Filed March 7, 1941 Feb. 23, 1943.

INVENTOR I LESTER (LI-REY FlG.-2 Maw ATTORNEYS I which all partswork-toand-removing --kind which includes 'extractor prior at best,.efiort, especially truly square, smooth and hat.

Patented Feb. 23, 1943 l'lNaI-Tl'iED T-SIATES ,IPAT'EN T OFFICE:HANDKERCHIEF FLUFFER Lester-,C.- Frey, Cincinnati,-()hio,' assignor *toThe American Laundry Machinery Company, Norwood, Ohio, atcorporation-ofiOhio Application March 7, l94lfserial'No; 382,133

7 Claims.

hollow casing, the machineas a whole being of simple-constructioncapable "of being manufacture'd sold and maintained-at low cost, and inwhlchthe hollow casing is suitably formed to provide all necessarystorage 'space'for the articles being operated upon, which iscurvedandhas the necessary sloping portions to'guide 'the'work intoengagement-with the flufilng wheel'andto return it thereto after it haspassed through, and vin are conveniently disposed 'for manipulation bythe operator in supplying the it from the'machine.

A f-urther object'is to provide a machine of this an adjustable closuremember of simple-form, capable of convenient manipulation, and which isadjustable to two positions, in one of which it serves as a hopper forintroducing the work to the'machine, and in the other ofwhichiitqoermits .discharge' or the-work 'from'the I machine and assistsinguiding-it'to'a receiver.

-'Fur ther objectsof the invention are injpart obvious-and in-part willappear more in detail I hereinafter.

' In th'e drawing, which represents one" suitable :embodimentof'the'inventionfFig.1 is an end elevation,' partly'broken out to=exposeinterior parts,

elevation, 'partlybroken 33, Fig. 2.

'In the laundering of small articles-offlatwork,

1 such as handkerchiefs 'andnapkins; such articles,

after "washing, are-extracted in a centrifugal to ironing. They usuallycome 'from' the eXtractor'in-a 'more'or less matted, com- "pacted an'dtangled condition, requiring the opera'tor, before introducing them'intothe ironing "machine, to 1 separate a 'singlepiece from the mass anduntangleandstra-ighten it out,'a tedious task requiring considerabletime and special ifthefinished productis to be The present 'machine i sd'esigned to receive the tangled mass of such'articlesja's theyco'mefromthe extractor, and automatically to -separate and fluff them, so astostraighten out the rolled and creased edges, so that an operatorreadily can select an individual piece and dress or arrange it for theironing-operation with'minimum effort and with minimum expenditure oftime,'resulting in a higher quality product with straight edges andsquare corners.

Th 'fiufiing 'machina'generally speaking, includes a hollow casing inwhich rotates apaddle wheel, together with driving means for the wheel,and a'tray or other support upon which the work is discharged, at theconclusion of the fiuiiing operation, in a position convenient totheoperator for introducing the work into the ironing or finishing machine.

'Theapparatus shown in the drawing comprises a suitable frame structureincluding parallel sheet metal end panels I'll connected by a curvedmetal sheet orplate I I to form and enclose a chamber I2 open at itsfront, as will laterappear. "In'said chamber rotates a paddle wheel I3cooperating witha baffle I 4 and driven by ane'lectric motor I5. Thefinished work isdischarged upon a tray "I 6.

The foregoing parts,assembled as a unit, may

be designed especially for cooperation with a particular form or styleoffinishing machinegsuch as a"handkerchief press, in which case thefiufiing machine may be mounted directly on the top of the chest of'thatmachine. "The drawing, how- 'ever, shows the machine in a'formadapted'for use-anywhere, its 'frame being provided with legs orstandards I I by which it may be mounted'either directly upon theironing machine or press, or on a table or other support, or even uponthe floor.

The curved plate II of the hollow casingis so shaped that the chamberIZthere'in is more or generally cylindrical in form. The bottom wall I'8 of said plate I I is more or lessfiat'and inclined,

with its lower portion curved, as at I9, about an axis at the center ofrotation of the paddlewheel '13, the edges of theblades ofwhich travelfairly closely to this curved casing wall.

The paddle wheel may be of any suitable form for the purpose. Asillustrated it comprises a central shaft 20 of square cross sectionhaving its end portions reduced and of cylindrical form to form gudgeons2| rotating inbearings in the casing, one thereof having secured theretosuitable driving means, such as a pulley 22,housed in a frame extensionor guard 23 and connected by a belt 24 to a driving pulley 25 on themotor shaft. A switch 26 controls the motor, and for convenience saidswitch maybe provided with an extension ro'd21, on eye'28 of'which islocated for convenient access at the front of the machine.

opposite Any suitable number of paddle blades 29 may be employed, fourbeing shown. Each two thereof are parts of the same sheet of fairlystiff but flexible material, such as rubber or a reinforced rubber orother similar composition, the sheet being bent to angle form with theintermediate portions of the two sheets held to the squared portion ofthe shaft by V-shaped metal clamping strips 30 secured to the shaft byscrews or bolts 30a. The outer longitudinal edges 3| of the paddleblades are straight and their end edges are slightly bevelled, as at 32.

The blades of the paddle cooperate with the baffle l4, before referredto, which is a sheet or strip of the same rubber or like material havingits outer edge firmly secured in bracket members 33 fastened on theinside of the casing wall. A narrow space or gap 34 is left between theedges of the blades of the paddle and the edge of the baffle l4, as willbe apparent from Fig. 3. As before stated, the front portion of thecasing (that at the right in Fig. 1) has an opening through which thework is introduced into and removed from the machine. Th s o ening isclosed by a cover, marked generally 35, Fig. 1. The cover 35. generallyspeaking, is of hopper form, including two triangular end wall members36 connected by a front wall 31, the cover as a whole being hinged tothe case on pins 38 so located that the gravity effect of the dependingcover exerts a sli ht tendency to move it toward and hold it in closedposition. The inner portion of the hopper cover is open to the interiorchamber 12. Its upper portion may be open to the atmosphere, no closurebeing necessary for the top opening. But a closure may be used and oneis illustrated in the drawing at 39. the closure being pivoted on thesame pins 38 and being sensitive to tension springs 49 extending frombrackets on the closure to fixed po nts 4| on the casing;

The full lines, Fi 1, illustrate the closed position of the cover 35 andits closure or, in other words. its position while the machine isfiuffing a batch of work. With the cover in this position its closure 39maybe lifted to the dot-dash position in Fig. 1, enabling work to beintroduced into the machine by dropping it into the opening, theinclined wall 31 directing the work to the lower portion of the rotatingpaddle wheel.

When the fiuffing operation is completed, the cover 35 may be moved tothe dotted line position, Fig. 1, whereupon continued rotation of thepaddle wheel will forcibly discharge the work over the top of the wheeland past the bafile l4 outwardly from the chamber either directly upon atable or other support, or, as shown, into the tray I6; Said tray. forconvenience, may be mounted upon an arm 42 pivoted on a vertical axisat43 to a suitable sup ort. enabling the tray to be moved to one side ifthe operator desires.

Suitable means may be provided for latching the cover in its closedposition, such as the hooked end portions 44 of a bent handle bar 45rotatably mounted in brackets 46 of the cover, the hooked latchescooperating with fixed pins 41 on the casing.

The springs 4|], to which the closure 39 is sensitive, are ofthe'over-center variety. working on sides of the pivot pins 38. so thatwhen the cover 38 is in its closed position. shown in full lines.Fig. 1. the springs 49 tend to hold the closure 39 down upon the coverand further exert a tendency to hold the cover sealed against thecasing. But with the cover closed, its closure 39 may be raised to anupper position in which the springs 40 are now above the pins 38,whereupon said springs exert a tendency to hold the closure 39 open. Theclosure 39 is of a light, transparent material, such as one of thecolorless plastics, which requires only a light spring 49 to hold it inposition. When the hopper cover is in the closed position and theclosure 39 is in the full line position of Fig. l the operator is ableto see inside the tumbler to observe the condition of the load. It willbe noted also that when the hopper cover 35 is raised for an unloadingoperation as indicated in dash lines in Fig. 1, the right-hand end ofspring is raised above the pivotal center 38, thus automatically openingthe closure 39, and when the hopper cover 35 is again closed, theclosure 39 remains in its open position for a subsequent loadingoperation without extra attention of the operator.

In the use of the apparatus, assuming the paddle wheel is rotating inthe clockwise direction, Fig. 1, and that the hopper cover 36 is latchedin the closed position, the closure 39 is raised and a batch of goods isdropped into the hopper-shaped cover. This batch is conveyed by thechute action of the hopper, into engagement with the paddle wheel. Thewheel action on the goods separates and fluffs the pieces as they aredragged along the casing wall by the edges of the blades. The resultingstripping action tends to separate the individual pieces from each otherand to unroll and straighten out their rolled and creased edges. After asuitable period of time, without stopping the motor, the handle isdepressed to release the latches 44 from the pins 41, andwith the handle45 the hopper is drawn, forward. Thereupon continued rotation of thepaddle wheel carries the articles over its top andejects them from thecasing to be deposited in the tray. After closing the casing the machinemay be again loaded and the fluifed articles may be 7 introduced intothe ironing or other finishing I machine.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a hollow casingprovided with end panels connected by a body wall provided with a frontopening, a paddle wheel provided with flexible blades rotatable in saidcasing, a fixed flexible blade above the paddle wheel adjacent the frontopening of the casing, the body wall having its lower portion curved andlying close tothe edges of the wheel blades and beyond said wheel beinginclined upwardly and rearwardly away from the blade edges to providestorage space behind said wheel and fixed blade for the work beingoperated upon, and means for rotating said wheel.

2. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a hollow casingprovided with end panels connected by a body wall provided with a frontopening, a paddle wheel provided with flexible blades rotatable in saidcasing, the body wal having its lower portion curved and lying close tothe edges of the wheel blades and beyond said wheel being inclinedupwardly and rearwardly to provide open storage space for the work beingoperated upon, a fixed flexible blade above the paddle wheel, means forrotating said wheel, and a hopper shaped cover for the casing openingshaped to serve in its closed position to guide the work to the paddlewheel.

3. Apparatus of the character described. comprising a hollow casingprovided with end panels connected by a body wall provided with a frontopening, a paddle Wheel provided with flexible blades rotatable in saidcasing, a fixed flexible blade above the paddle wheel adjacent the frontopening of the casing, the body wall having its lower portion curved andlying close to the edges of the wheel blades and beyond said wheel beinginclined upwardly and rearwardly away from the blade edges to providestorage spac behind said wheel and fixed blade for the work beingoperated upon, means for rotating said wheel, and a hopper shaped coverfor said opening lying entirely outside of said opening and pivoted on asingle axis only near the upper edge of the opening, said cover having awork charging closed position in which it is applied to said opening anda work discharging open position in which it is spaced from saidopening.

4. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a hollow casingprovided with end panels connected by a body wall provided with a frontopening, a paddle wheel provided with flexible blades rotatable in saidcasing, the body wall having its lower portion curved and lying close tothe edges of the wheel blades and beyond said wheel being inclinedupwardly and rearwardly to provide open storage space for the work beingoperated upon, a fixed flexible blade above the paddle wheel, means forrotating said wheel, and

a hopper shaped cover for said opening pivoted on an axis near the upperedge of the opening and having work charging closed and work dischargingopen positions, the hopper portion of said cover having a wall slopingdownwardly toward said curved lower portion of the body wall in workcharging position of said cover, said last named wall being spaced fromsaid casing in work discharging position of said cover to form a baffieagainst which the work is discharged to di-. rect it downwardly.

5. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a hollow casingprovided with end panels connected by a body wall provided with a frontopening, a paddle wheel provided with flexible blades rotatable in saidcasing, the body wall having its lower portion curved and lying close tothe edges of the wheel blades and beyond said wheel being inclinedupwardly and rearwardly to provide open storage space for the work beingoperated upon, a fixed flexible blade above the paddle wheel, means forrotating said wheel, a

hopper shaped cover for said opening pivoted on an axis near the upperedge of the opening and having open and closed positions, the hopperportion of said cover having a wall sloping downwardly toward saidcurved lower portion of the body wall in closed position of said cover,said last named wall being spaced from said casing in open position ofsaid cover to form a baflle against which the work is discharged todirect it downwardly, and a receiver lying below the open cover forreceiving the work, said receiver having a vertical pivotal mounting atone side thereof for swinging said receiver laterally from its positionbeneath said cover.

6. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a hollow casingprovided with end panels connected by a body wall provided with a frontopening, a paddle wheel provided with flexible blades rotatable in saidcasing, the body wall having its lower portion curved and lying close tothe edges of the wheel blades and beyond said wheel being inclinedupwardly and rearwardly to provide open storage space for the work beingoperated upon, a fixed flexible blade above the paddle wheel, means forrotating said wheel, an open top hopper shaped cover for said openingpivoted on an axis near the upper edge of the opening and having workcharging and discharging positions, in the former of which it guideswork downwardly toward the curved casing bottom and in the latter ofwhich it forms a bafile against which the work is discharged to directit downwardly, and a pivoted closure for the open upper end of saidcover.

7. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a hollow casingprovided with end panels connected by a body wall provided with a frontopening, a paddle wheel provided with flexible blades rotatable in saidcasing, the body wall having its lower portion curved and lying close tothe edges of the wheel blades, a fixed flexible blade above the paddlewheel, means for rotating said wheel, a hopper shaped cover for saidopening pivot-ed on an axis near the upper edge of the opening andhaving open and closed positions, a closure for the open upper end ofsaid cover having a pivot adjacent the pivotal axis of said cover, andsnap-over spring means working across the closure pivot and tending tohold said closure end open or closed.

LESTER C. FREY.

